Never miss a local story.

“We hope to get Austin Langdale back in the spring. We saw in his three tournaments that Josh Fickes is going to be a great player and we know (sophomore) Carson Young is better than he played this fall.”

Langdale, second in scoring average as a freshman last year, missed the fall with a shoulder injury. Fickes, a freshman from Beaufort, showed promise with a tie for third in a weather-shortened tournament in his second start.

“The highlights of the fall have been Proveaux and Kennerly,” Penley said. “Cody has played really well. He’s been more determined, more focused this year. He’s getting ‘it’. Kennerly has been a real positive. He played in only one tournament last year, but he’s been very good for us this fall. He’s averaging under par.”

Perhaps Kennerly’s strong start to his final season could have been predicted. He enjoyed a strong summer on the amateur circuit, earning a pair of top-three finishes and placing in the top 25 in four tournaments. He showed the form that earned him top-10s in the ACC and the NCAA regional at the end of the 2013 season.

Juniors Stephen Behr and Miller Capps, starting for their third seasons, have scoring averages in the 72 range, but the fifth position has been in a state of flux. Without Langdale, Penley has rounded out the lineup with Young, Fickes and junior Blake Kennedy.

“We have a lot to work on, but we have a lot to work with,” Penley said. “We need to get Carson comfortable. He’s been successful at a high level before (an outstanding junior career plus wins in the Carolinas Amateur and the S.C. Amateur). Josh needs some experience. We just need more consistency and, hopefully, we get Austin back. I think we have a great opportunity to have a very good team this spring.”

Chip shotsGolf Magazine’s November issue featured photos from the Drive, Chip and Putt program, and among those shown was Parker Stavley, an eighth-grader at Blythewood Middle School, who advanced to her age-group finals at Augusta National Golf Club in April. ...

For the first time in 11 years, the SCPGA Chapter pros captured the Palmetto Cup, edging the SCGA amateurs 271/2-261/2 at Spring Valley CC. The pros took a two-point lead in the first day’s four-ball competition and held on in the second-day’s captain’s choice format to win the title for the first time since 2003.